Mike the Girl
  • About
    • Bios
  • Classes
    • Private Lessons
  • Media
    • Social Demos and Comps
    • Choreographed Performances
    • Photos
  • Contact

An Explanation: Class Descriptions

8/13/2009

3 Comments

 
Being a teacher first, and organizer second, I will freely admit that my event-running is utterly biased.  I just returned from the most successful Buenos Aires Blues we've had yet, and I'm proud to say that despite my own flaws and "learning experiences," the event went off beautifully.  I chose, for a number of reason, to withhold class titles and descriptions from the site, and rather than leaving folks to think it was an oversight (although I had a few of those, of course), I wanted to explicate my reasoning.


There are occasions when I think that class titles/descriptions are not only justified, but required.  The most obvious example, of course, is any workshop where a student has to choose between classes at the same time.  Instead of only the dance form and instructor name, the class description allows students to create a curriculum that suits their weaknesses and strengths.  Then, there are times when the class titles are not truly useful, but provide a feeling of security- for instance, at a beginners' workshop, or an intermediate workshop, with only one track.  A basic, very vague topic is easy to stick to, while still providing the instructor with enough room to alter the class plan to fit the students' needs.  (One class on technique, one class on musicality, one class on moves[aka technique 2], one class on solo dancing.  Sound familiar?)


However, there are some situations where class titles are simply impractical, such as BAB.  Before Friday night, there's no way to know just what the levels will be.  The instructors are from all over the country, as are the students, and with tango and blues dancers in one track, it's hard to predict what skills students will bring.  Likewise, once instructors have talked, face to face, about what material they're teaching, the classes influence each other.  All of our instructors at BAB made changes to their class descriptions (which I didn't publish); some changes were minor, but others completely scratched their original topics.  The classes they taught were perfect for the levels, and flowed together way better than I could have hoped for.  However, if students had received class titles that promised other classes, we either would have had to stick to the original classes, or have lied to the students by publishing classes that didn't get taught.  


In a sense, my decision not to publish class titles was a decision made by a dedicated teacher, who acknowledges being a terrible saleswoman.  I knew ahead of time that class titles were a plan, from which we were free to deviate.  I'm not insensitive to the fact that students want class titles- I like knowing what's coming, too.  But I refuse to give my students a plan that doesn't mean anything, purely to make students feel like they knew what was coming.  Essentially, I refuse to pationize you.  This was my way of saying, "this workshop will be a collection of classes that make sense together, and flow from one to the next, by teachers I believe in.  Trust in your teachers, show up, and we'll teach you what we think is best."  Because that's what the student-teacher relationship comes down to.  We ask our instructors to give us overall topics for a workshop or series, but after that, we ask them to do their best, and teach us what we need to know.  


So thank you, to the instructors who put together a top-rate set of workshops, and especially to all the students who put their trust in the instructors this weekend.  I may or may not publish class descriptions at various events in the future, but know that at the end of the day, my job is to make good dancers, and make people love dance, and I'll do everything I can to succeed at that, in the most honest way I can.


I'd starve as a politician.  And that's from someone who eats Ramen now.
-Mike
3 Comments
Little Rock BDSM link
10/16/2013 12:27:36 pm

I liked your blog and went ahead and created a weebly blog too!

Reply
iwc replica link
3/24/2014 11:48:21 am


Thanks for the tips, maybe I can use this svelte my noesis marketing and I have been use whatsoever ethnical media in try a interaction and they eff handiwork a big friendliness on me.

Reply
Mckinney Lee link
2/24/2022 07:00:44 am

This is a very informative—edifying article to all. Thanks a lot! Continue to post!
If you are looking for coupon codes and deals just visit coupon plus deals dot

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    May 2015
    July 2014
    October 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    May 2012
    November 2011
    September 2011
    June 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    November 2010
    September 2010
    June 2010
    February 2010
    November 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009

    Mike Legett

    Whether it's grand themes of life, or what I had for breakfast, here's where I'll tell you what I think.

    Categories

    All
    Art
    Augusta Heritage
    Balboa
    Blues
    Boston
    Camps
    Choreography
    Classes
    Competition
    Dance
    Dancing
    Djing
    Dogs
    Events
    Festivals
    Following
    Food
    Frankie
    Fusion
    Leading
    Lifestyle
    Lindy
    Moving
    Music
    Musicians
    Philadelphia
    Pittsburgh
    Psychology
    Scene Building
    Scene-Building
    Shopping
    Solo
    Troupe

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.